1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device with an AC plug and more particularly to an electronic device with an AC plug in which the AC plug to be connected to a power supply is mounted so as to be able to rotate 90 degrees so that the AC plug can be stored in a case of the electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electronic devices such as, for example, a charger for charging a battery, an AC adapter for converting an AC power supply to a working voltage or to a DC power supply, and the like, are well known.
These electronic devices are each equipped with an AC plug which has blades for connecting the AC plug to a power supply and a holding portion integrally formed on end portions of the blades. In order to improve miniaturization and portability of the electronic device, the AC plug is designed to be a falling-type AC plug which can be rotated 90 degrees about a case (device body) so that the AC plug can be stored in the case.
There are two AC adapters shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 as examples of the above-mentioned electronic device.
FIG. 6a is a schematic front view of a first AC adapter 1. FIG. 6b is a cross-sectional view taken along a line a--a of FIG. 6a of the AC adapter 1. The AC adapter 1 comprises a case 2 formed of insulation resin and an AC plug 3. The AC plug 3 consists of a pair of blades 4a, 4b formed of conductive metal material, and a holding portion 5 molded out of resin material and integrated with end portions of the blades 4a, 4b.
A rotary shaft 6 extends out of the holding portion 5 of the AC plug 3 and a bearing portion 7 for supporting the rotary shaft 6 is formed in the case 2. In FIG. 6a, as shown by an arrow, the AC plug 3 is designed to be able to rotate 90 degrees about the rotary shaft 6. The angle of 90.degree. is from a position where the AC plug 3 is stored in the case 2 (see lines formed by alternate long and two short dashes), to a position where the AC plug 3 is raised upright from the case 2 (see continuous lines) for connecting to a power supply (not shown). In addition, on an end surface of the holding portion 5 of the AC plug 3, there are contact portions of the blades 4a, 4b to be connected to the power supply and contacts in connection with a substrate (not shown) within the case 2. When the AC plug 3 is rotated, the contact portions and the contacts are in flexible connection with each other, and a description thereof is omitted (hereinafter, the description of the contact portions and the like in an embodiment of the present invention will also be omitted).
In the above-mentioned AC adapter 1, the blades 4a, 4b of the AC plug 3 sandwich the central axis of the shaft portion 6 and are mounted with broad portions thereof facing each other. On the other hand, in a second AC adapter 8, as shown in FIG. 7, which basically comprises the same elements (the corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals), each of the blades 4c, 4d of the AC plug 3 is mounted so as to lie in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the shaft portion 6, with the broad portions of the blades 4c, 4d facing each other.
In the conventional AC adapter 1 or 8 in which the AC plug 3 can be rotated and stored therein, the AC plug 3 is fixed (locked) in a state in which the AC plug 3 is raised from the case 2 by a rotation of 90 degrees (a raised state) by, for example, a fixing mechanism which consists of a projection and a hole portion (not shown).
However, in the conventional adapters 1 or 8, if the AC plug 3 fixed by the fixing mechanism collides with some object, the fixed AC plug 3 may be damaged by a force caused by the collision.